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Is it Your Swing?

Struggling with your Kettlebell Clean or Snatch? Often we must go back to the swing.

Coaching this week, I was reminded of this again. My student’s swing was good, not perfect, but it’s improving. However, as soon as we moved to cleans, everything fell to bits.

We must remember, the clean is a swing that finishes in the rack, the snatch is a swing that finishes overhead

It’s always a swing. The more ingrained your swing is, the easier the clean and snatch will be.

Your swing needs to be crisp, with a powerful hip snap. If you have that, the rest is just to guide the bell to the right position. Be it to the “rack” in the clean or overhead in the snatch, it all initiates from the hips. The power is in the hips.

The biggest problem I see as a coach, when we change the movement i.e. from swing to clean or swing to snatch, we seem to forget the swing portion of the movement.

It all initiates with the swing, then a small pull either high or low and the bell goes where you want it.

Practicing the swing

If your swing is really ingrained, then concentrate on the swing portion of the clean or snatch. DRIVE that bell with the hips, then steer it to where you want it to go. But SWING IT! It’s a swing never forget that. it doesn’t change.

I believe, you should swing everyday.

Having said that, if you have followed this series from the beginning, I didn’t swing for a long time. I was deadlifting regularly, but my swing was put on a back burner.

My first swing session 16 weeks ago was: 10 swings every minute for 10 minutes, 2 arms with a 32kg bell. It was difficult and as the sets continued, the power diminished.

This morning, 100 swings in less than 5 minutes, 1 arm with a 28kg. The swings were crisp and fast. I have practiced this every morning for 55 days consecutively.

I know, that my snatch test will be easy, because of the power and endurance I have built up in my posterior chain over the last 16 weeks and especially over the last 55 days.

I have programmed 100 swings every morning for all my students who are sitting the StrongFirst Instructor Certificate. This is on top of any training they do. I recommend this to all my students, but I insist it from my CERT students.

This is now becoming a habit for all of them.

This is a habit I would like to take on for the rest of my life. I believe in it that much. With the deadlift, I was strong, but had no real power. With the swings, I feel fast, strong and explosive. (and my deadlift hasn’t suffered 1 bit.)

Regardless of what happens during the rest of your day, get your 100 swings and a short flow movement. Can’t start the day much better than that.

Moral of the story? SWING!!

What now?

SIGN UP TO THE CERT HERE if you haven’t already. If you don’t feel ready, just remember you have 12 weeks after the cert to get across the line.